Fluidic amplifier

ABSTRACT

A fluidic amplifier for computers. The fluidic amplifier has an elongated passage one end of which forms a supply port and the opposite end of which forms an output port, this passage being curved intermediate its ends about a given point. Along an inner side of the curved part of the passage, which is directed toward the latter point, at least one input port communicates with the passage while at the outer side of the curved portion thereof, which is directed away from the latter point, there is an interruption in the passage through which the interior thereof communicates with the exterior. The inner surface of the passage thus extends continuously from the supply port to the output port achieving flow of the fluid along this inner surface of the passage during laminar flow with the fluid clinging to the inner continuous surface of the passage, while in response to an input signal through the input port the laminar flow will be converted into turbulent flow achieving the operation of a turbulent amplifier.

United States Patent Nishimoto [451 Aug. 1,1972

[54] FLUIDIC AMPLIFIER 211 Appl. No.: 57,721

30 Foreign Application Priority om 5/1970 Bauer ..l37/8l.5 12/1970 Kentfield ..l37/81.5

Primary Examiner-Samuel Scott Attorney-Steinberg and Blake 7 [57] ABSTRACT A fluidic amplifier for computers. The fluidic amplifier has an elongated passage one end of which forms a supply port and the opposite end of which forms an output port, this passage being curved intermediate its ends about a given point. Along an inner side of the curved part of the passage, which is directed toward the latter point, at least one input port communicates with the passage while at the outer side of the curved portion thereof, which is directed away from the latter point, there is an interruption in the passage through which the interior thereof communicates with the exterior. The inner surface of the passage thus extends continuously from the supply port to the output port achieving flow of the fluid along this inner surface of the passage during laminar flow with the fluid clinging to the inner continuous surface of the passage, while in response to an input signal through the input port the laminar flow will be converted into turbulent flow achieving the operation of a turbulent amplifier.

11 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAUB' 1 I972 SHKEI 1 [1F 2 INVENTOR TWASH Ally/M 0T0 ATTORNEYj PATENTED 1 SHEET 2 OF 2 Fig 5 INVENTOR BY Mullah ATT RNEY.)

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to computers.

In particular, the present invention relates to fluidic amplifiers to be used in computers.

Thus, the present invention relates to a fluidic amplifier of simple construction and high stability capable of forming 9. NOT device or a NOR device. With the NOR V device, all types of logic circuits can be achieved.

With the known art, devices of this general type forming NOT devices or NOR devices utilize the disturbance of a laminar flow to achieve an action breaking the laminar flow into a turbulent flow. However, with known devices of this type the conditions of flow are undesirably unstable. In one type of known device a wall attachment, or clinging of the fluid to the surface of the passage, was utilized, but in order to achieve this latter type of operation exceedingly complex and difficult procedures were required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide a fluidic amplifier which will eliminate the above drawbacks.

Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide a fluidic amplifier which utilizes the fact that laminar flow conditions will become turbulent flow conditions, while also utilizing the phenomenom of clinging of a fluid which has laminar flow to the surface of a passage along which the fluid flows.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a fluidic amplifier which uses air as the fluid and which can be operated at high temperatures while requiring a lesser amount of air than has heretofore been required.

Also it is an object of the present invention to provide a fluidic amplifier having the property of not only attachment of the fluid to a wall or surface of a passage along which it flows but also the property of breaking up the laminar flow into a turbulent flow, achieving the operation of a turbulence amplifier.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a fluidic amplifier which can form all types of logic circuits.

In addition it is an object of the invention to provide a compact fluid amplifier capable of uniting a plurality of amplifiers into one unit in an integrated type of circuit.

According to the invention the fluidic amplifier includes a passage-fonning means forming an elongated fluid passage having at one end a supply port and at an opposite end an output port and having between the latter ends a curved portion extending around a given point. Thus the curved portion of the passage has an inner side directed toward the latter point, and the passage is continuous along this inner side thereof. However, the passage has at its curved portion an outer side directed away from the latter point, and at this outer side the passage is interrupted so that the interior thereof can communicate with the exterior. An input port means communicates with the passage-forming means at the inner side of the curved portion of the passage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings which form part of this application and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of one embodiment of a fluidic amplifier according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse section of the amplifier of FIG. 1 taken along line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-section of the amplifier of FIG. 1 taken along III-III of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section of another embodiment of a fluidic amplifier of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a further embodiment of a fluidic amplifier according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional structure of FIG. 5 taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 7 is a perspective illustration of yet another embodiment of a fluidic amplifier of the invention; and

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section elevation of the embodiment of FIG. 7 taken along line VIH-VIII in the direction of the arrows.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIGS. l-3, the fluidic amplifier of the invention which is illustrated therein includes a passage-forming means in the form of an elongated pipe or tube 1 having an intermediate curved portion 2. It will be noted that the passage formed by this passageforrning means 1 has between its opposed ends an intermediate curved portion curved about a given point. As is apparent from FIG. 3, the passage-forming means 1 provides a continuous inner surface for the passage along the inner side thereof which is directed toward the point about which the pipe is curved. On the other hand, at the outer side of the intermediate curved portion of the passage, an interruption or cutout 3 is formed, so that at the intermediate interrupted portion 3, along the outer side of the intermediate curved passage portion, the interior of the passage can freely communicate with the exterior.

It is to be noted that in the region of its opposed ends the passage-forming means is straight and extends respectively along a pair of axes which intersect at the curved intermediate region 2. The angle a at which these axes intersect is usually from 10 to 30.

An input port means 4 communicates with the passage formed by the passage-forming means 1 at the intermediate curved part 2 of this passage, and in particular along the continuous inner side of the passage. This input port means 4 takes the form of a plurality of tubes 4 of a diameter substantially smaller than that of the tube 1. Thus, the several tubes 4 coact to form an input port means, designated Ci, which is open at the cutout 3 of the pipe I. In the particular example illustrated in the drawing, there are four input ports C C C C, respectively communicating with the inner continuous surface of the passage and constituting the input port means of this embodiment.

The passage which is formed by the passage-forming means 1 has a supply port 5 at one end and an output port 6 at its opposed end, the passage being substantially straight at the region of these ends so as to have the axes which intersect as pointed out above.

While in the embodiment of FIGS. l-3, the passageforming means 1 has an elongated straight portion in the region of the output port 6, the embodiment of FIG. 4 differs in that from the central curved region 2 up to the output port 6 the curvature of the passage means is of an airfoil configuration. Thus, FIG. 4 illustrates how the curvature of this embodiment from the central region 2 up to the output port 6 conforms to the shape of the wing of an airplane.

As is apparent from FIG. 2, the illustrated passageforrning means is of a circular cross-section. However, this cross-section of the pipe or passage formed by the passage-forming means can be oval, elliptical, in the form of a rectangle or oblong, or any desired configuration. With the above-described fluidic amplifier of the invention, the fluid, generally air, is supplied from the supply port 5 and logic calculations are carried out by utilizing the input port means Ci and the output port 6. The fluid which is supplied from the supply port 5 flows along the passage formed by the passage-forming means 1, with the fluid being attached or clinging to the inner wall surface and reaching the output port 6 in the absence of any control signal at the input port means Ci. In the event that there is a control signal at any one of the input ports of the input port means, then the fluid from the supply port 5 is disturbed and clinging of the fluid to the inner wall surface will no longer be achieved so that the fluid willnot flow continuously from the supply port 5 to the output port 6 while clinginput means terminating at the openings 17 communicating with the intermediate curved region of the passage at the continuous inner surface thereof. Thus, the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6 will achieve the same results as the above-described embodiments. The bodies 11a and 11b may be made of plastic, metal, or any other materials. 7

In the embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the passage-forming means also ing along the inner wall surface of the pipe 1. Thus, in I one input port, the amplifier becomes a NOT amplifier,

while in the illustrated example of a plurality of input ports, the amplifier becomes a NOR amplifier. The par ticular example of the drawings provides a NOR amplifier having four input ports so that a 4 input NOR amplifier is provided. Therefore, the addition of a NOT amplifier makes a 4 input OR device.

In the embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the passage-forming means is constituted by a pair of bodies 11a and 11b. These bodies have flattened surfaces directly engaging each other with each body. having along its upper edge, as viewed in FIG. 5, the configuration illustrated according to which it has a central curved part corresponding to the curved region 2 of the embodiments of FIGS. 1-4. At its inner flat surface each of the bodies 11a and 11b is formed with a groove along its upper edge region, and this groove is interrupted at 13. Moreover, each body is formed with the grooves 14 shown in FIG. 5. When the flat surfaces of the bodies are placed in engagement with each other, the grooves of the bodies register so that the elongated upper groove forms the fluid passage having the supply port 15 and output port 16 corresponding to the supply port 5 and the output port 6, with the interruption 13 corresponding to the cutout 3. The several registering grooves 14 form the takes the form of a plurality of bodies having registering grooves. Thus, there is a lower or base body 210.

having, as viewed in FIGS. 7 and 8, an upper surface which is of the configuration apparent from FIGS. 7 and 8 so that this upper surface has an intermediate curved region extending around a given point toward which this curved surface region is directed. This upper surface of the body 21a is formed with a plurality of parallel grooves, and a plurality of input ports 27, three of which are illustrated in FIG. 8, communicate with each of these grooves. The body 21b has at its surface which is joined to the grooved surface of the body 21a downwardly directed grooves registering with the grooves of the body 21a. The body 21c is spaced from the body 21b and is also formed at its surface joining the surface of cling 21a with grooves registering with the grooves of the body 21a. Thus, with this construction the spacing between the bodies 21b and 210 will define the interruption 23 at the intermediate curved region 22 of each passage. Each passage is thus provided by the above assembly with a supply port 25 and an output port 26. Therefore, with this embodiment it is simply the exposed intermediate region of the body 21a which forms the interruption in the passage communicating with the exterior of the passage while the laminar fluid will cling to the inner continuous surface of the passage unless an input signal is received at one of the input ports 27. It is clear that with the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8 it is possible'to combine into a single compact unit a plurality of fluidic amplifiers which are parallel to each other and incorporated into one unitary assembly with a simple integrated circuit which is highly desirable because of its compactness and because of the ease with which the piping can be arranged.

The embodiment of FIGS. 1-3 as well as the embodiment of FIG. 4 are extremely simple to construct inasmuch as a plurality of thin pipes which are partially cut are all that is required to constitute the passageforming means of these embodiments. Where the material is used for such pipes or tubes are stainless steel or copper, then amplifiers capable of operating at high temperatures because of their resistance to high temperature are achieved.

As is apparent from the above description, the

present invention provides a simply constructed, smallsize amplifier which is easy to use. The fluid is in a laminar flow which becomes a turbulent flow when an input port receives a signal. Inasmuch as the pipe is provided with a curvature corresponding'to the angle a, the clinging or attachment of the stream of fluid to the inner wall surfaces will cease due to the input at the input port, and the pressure will disappear at the output port. With the amplifier of the present invention use is made of the action of changing the laminar flow to a turbulent flow, and use also is made of thesurface tension in the fluid causing it to cling or attach itself to a wall surface to achieve a highly stabilized flow so that with one single amplifier construction it is possible to carry out two actions simultaneously, while at the same time providing an amplifier of high stability. The amplifier forms a NOT amplifier and a NOR amplifier, and formation of circuits will enable the achievement of an AND amplifier, OR amplifier, FLIP-FLOP amplifiers, as well as other types of amplifiers.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fluidic amplifier, passage-forming means for forming at least one elongated fluid passage having a supply port at one end, an output port at an opposed end, and between said ends a curved portion curved about a predetermined point through an angle which is substantially less than 90 with said passage-forming means having at an inner side directed toward said point a continuous surface extending from said supply port to said output port and at an outer side of said fluid passage which is directed away from said point an interruption at said curved portion through which fluid may flow out of said passage, said interruption being in the form of an elongated cutout extending longitudinally of said passage and being wide enough to provide free, unobstructed flow of fluid out of said passage from the interior to the exterior thereof, and input port means communicating with said passage-forming means at the inner side of said passage at said curved portion thereof for providing at least one input port at the curved part of said passage.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said passage-forming means is in the form of an elongaged pipe having said supply port at one end, said output port at an opposed end, with said pipe being curved intermediate said ends thereof to form the curved portion of said passage, said pipe having an inner wall region extending along the passage at the inner side thereof and at the curved part thereof an outer wall region region formed with said elongated cutout at the curved portion of said passage, said input port means communicating with the interior of said pipe at the inner wall region thereof.

3. The combination of claim 2 and wherein said pipe is made of metal.

4. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said passage-forming means includes at least a pair of bodies respectively having surfaces directly engaging each other and respectively formed at said surfaces with elongated grooves which register with each other to form said passage.

5. The combination of claim 4 and wherein said surfaces of said bodies are flat.

6. The combination of claim 4 and wherein said surface of at least one of said bodies is curved and formed with an elongated groove for providing the curved'portion of said passage.

7. The combination of claim 6 and wherein there are three bodies one of which is formed with said curved surface and the other two of which engage said curved surface at regions spaced from an intermediate portion thereof and said surfaces of said other two bodies being formed with grooves registering with that of said one body, so that the space between said two bodies forms said elongated cutout to provide the communication of the curved portion of said passage with the space body is formed along said curved surface thereof with a plurality of grooves situated parallel to each other while the other two bodies are respectively formed with grooves registering with those of said one body, to form a plurality of fluidic amplifiers.

9. The combination of claim 1 and wherein the passage formed by said passage-forming means has a pair of elongated straight portions in the region of said supply port and output port, and said straight passage portions respectively having axes-which intersect at the region of the curved portion of said passage.

10. The combination of claim 9 and wherein said axes intersect at an angle of between 10 and 30.

11. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said passage formed by said passage-forming means has between the curved intermediate portion and the output port a curvature of airfoil configuration. 

1. In a fluidic amplifier, passage-forming means for forming at least one elongated fluid passage having a supply port at one end, an output port at an opposed end, and between said ends a curved portion curved about a predetermined point through an angle which is substantially less than 90* with said passageforming means having at an inner side directed toward said point a continuous surfAce extending from said supply port to said output port and at an outer side of said fluid passage which is directed away from said point an interruption at said curved portion through which fluid may flow out of said passage, said interruption being in the form of an elongated cutout extending longitudinally of said passage and being wide enough to provide free, unobstructed flow of fluid out of said passage from the interior to the exterior thereof, and input port means communicating with said passage-forming means at the inner side of said passage at said curved portion thereof for providing at least one input port at the curved part of said passage.
 2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said passage-forming means is in the form of an elongaged pipe having said supply port at one end, said output port at an opposed end, with said pipe being curved intermediate said ends thereof to form the curved portion of said passage, said pipe having an inner wall region extending along the passage at the inner side thereof and at the curved part thereof an outer wall region region formed with said elongated cutout at the curved portion of said passage, said input port means communicating with the interior of said pipe at the inner wall region thereof.
 3. The combination of claim 2 and wherein said pipe is made of metal.
 4. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said passage-forming means includes at least a pair of bodies respectively having surfaces directly engaging each other and respectively formed at said surfaces with elongated grooves which register with each other to form said passage.
 5. The combination of claim 4 and wherein said surfaces of said bodies are flat.
 6. The combination of claim 4 and wherein said surface of at least one of said bodies is curved and formed with an elongated groove for providing the curved portion of said passage.
 7. The combination of claim 6 and wherein there are three bodies one of which is formed with said curved surface and the other two of which engage said curved surface at regions spaced from an intermediate portion thereof and said surfaces of said other two bodies being formed with grooves registering with that of said one body, so that the space between said two bodies forms said elongated cutout to provide the communication of the curved portion of said passage with the space beyond said passage.
 8. The combination of claim 7 and wherein said one body is formed along said curved surface thereof with a plurality of grooves situated parallel to each other while the other two bodies are respectively formed with grooves registering with those of said one body, to form a plurality of fluidic amplifiers.
 9. The combination of claim 1 and wherein the passage formed by said passage-forming means has a pair of elongated straight portions in the region of said supply port and output port, and said straight passage portions respectively having axes which intersect at the region of the curved portion of said passage.
 10. The combination of claim 9 and wherein said axes intersect at an angle of between 10* and 30*.
 11. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said passage formed by said passage-forming means has between the curved intermediate portion and the output port a curvature of airfoil configuration. 